r/improv • u/Duke-Berryman • 2d ago

Telegraphing a joke

Here's a great comedy lesson from Steve Martin: you can telegraph a joke from a mile away and it will still be funny. Similar to how Penn & Teller show the audience how a trick is done, then actually do the trick, and the audience is still amazed. Feel free to give away the punchline because it will still be funny when you deliver it.

Know any other examples like this? Or comics that put the punchline first, like a Jeopardy question?

https://youtu.be/276xNCbUDX8?si=DUUdPa9Jevt11PC5

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u/inturnaround 1d ago

I don't think so much in terms of punchlines in narrative improv, but I think it's better to think of it in terms of buttons. Like if you know the show is getting near and end point, you're looking for buttons. So yeah, it can either be an obvious conclusion that you've been building to that can still be satisfying or it can be a subversion of the expectations that you've all created that can still be interesting.

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u/Duke-Berryman 1d ago

Love subversion!